The field of this invention is fertilizers.
Fertilizers are materials that are used to supply elements needed for plant nutrition. Fertilizer materials may be in the form of solids, semi-solids, slurry suspensions, pure liquids, aqueous solutions and gases. Fertilizing materials may be introduced into a plant""s environment in a number of different ways, including through addition to the soil, through application directly to a plant""s foliage, and the like. The use of fertilizers is critical to commercial agriculture as fertilizers are essential to correct natural deficiencies and/or replace components in soil.
In many instances, it is beneficial to apply a fertilizer directly to the foliage of a plant, i.e. to use a foliar fertilizer. Such instances include situations where a given soil has characteristics such that the transport properties of nutrients through the soil are poor. In such instances, the use of a foliar fertilizing composition overcomes the soil disadvantages.
As such, a number of different foliar fertilizer compositions have been developed and/or used with a variety of different types of crops.
Despite the number of different foliar fertilizers that have been developed, there is a continued need to develop new compositions. Of particular interest would be the development of fertilizer compositions that include a minimum of different components, preferably naturally occurring components, where such compositions nonetheless provide for significant enhancement in plant growth.
U.S. Patents of interest include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,648; 4,652,294; 4,952,229; 5,549,729; 5,582,627 and 5,696,094. Also of interest are JP 68-022206 and EP 161395.
References of interest include: Berrie, xe2x80x9cThe Effect of Sucrose Sprays on the Growth of Tomato: Physiologia Plantarum (1960) 13: 9-19; Brasher et al., xe2x80x9cFoliar Nutrition Sprays on Vegetable Cropsxe2x80x9d Bulletin No. 295, (April 1953) (University of Delaware, Newark Del.); Klinker et al., xe2x80x9cEffect of Foliar Applications of Urea, Sucrose, and Dextrose on Tomato Yield and Quality,xe2x80x9d Bulletin 595 (April 1953) (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) (University of Kentucky); Mederski et al., xe2x80x9cFoliar fertilization of Plant Crops,xe2x80x9d Research Circulation (1956) Ohio Agricultural Experimentation Station; and Went et al., xe2x80x9cGrowth Response to Tomato Plants of Applied Sucrose,xe2x80x9d American J. Botany (1948) 33: 95-106.
Foliar fertilizing compositions and methods for their use are provided. The subject compositions are aqueous solutions that include at least one coenzyme, where the coenzyme(s) is preferably a vitamin B, and more preferably at least one of, and in many embodiments both of, folic acid (vitamin Bc) and pyridoxine (vitamin B6). The subject fertilizing compositions may further include at least one of a carbohydrate source, a complexing agent and a preservative. The subject compositions find use in methods of enhancing plant growth through foliar application.
Methods and compositions for enhancing plant growth are provided. The subject compositions are aqueous solutions of at least one coenzyme, where the coenzyme(s) is preferably a vitamin B, and more preferably at least one of, and many cases both of, folic acid and pyridoxine. The subject compositions may also include one or more of the following agents: (a) a carbohydrate source; (b) a complexing agent; and (c) a preservative. The subject compositions find use in methods of enhancing plant growth where the compositions are applied to the foliage of plants, i.e. the subject compositions find use as foliar fertilizers. In further describing the subject invention, the compositions will be described first followed by a discussion of methods for their use.
Before the subject invention is further described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments of the invention described below, as variations of the particular embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and is not intended to be limiting. Instead, the scope of the present invention will be established by the appended claims.
In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms xe2x80x9ca,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9can,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cthexe2x80x9d include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.
The compositions used as foliar fertilizers in the subject methods are aqueous compositions that include at least one coenzyme. Coenzymes of interest include: biotin, vitamin B compounds, inositol, etc. In preferred embodiments, the coenzyme is a vitamin B. By vitamin B is meant a water soluble vitamin which is generally a member of the vitamin B complex. Specific vitamin B compounds of interest include: vitamin B1 (thiamine); vitamin B1 disulfide (thiamine disulfide); vitamin B1 propyl disulfide (thiamine propyl disulfide; prosultiamine); vitamin B2 (riboflavin); vitamin B2 phosphate (riboflavin monophosphate); vitamin B3 (nicotinamide, niacin, nicotinic acid); vitamin B4 (adenine); vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid); vitamin B6 hydrochloride (pyridoxine hydrochloride); vitamin B12 (cyanobolamin); vitamin B12r (vitamin B12-Co(II)); vitamin B12 coenzyme (cobamamide); vitamin B12a; vitamin B12b; B12c; vitamin B12d; vitamin B12p; vitamin B12s; vitamin B13 (orotic acid); vitamin Bx (p-aminobenzoic acid, PABA); and vitamin Bc (folic acid).
While the foliar fertilizer composition may include one or more different vitamin B compounds, preferably the composition includes one or two different vitamin B compounds, where the vitamin B compounds are preferably folic acid and pyridoxine, where the foliar fertilizer composition may include just one of, or both of, folic acid and pyridoxine. The amount of each of these coenzymes will be effective to enhance the rate of growth of the plant to which the composition is applied.
In preferred embodiments in which folic acid and/or pyridoxine are the vitamin B compounds, the amount of folic acid that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods (i.e. N-[4[[(2-Amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl]amino]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid, PGA, liver Lactobacillus casei factor; vitamin Bc; vitamin M, folsxc3xa4ure, cytofol; folacin, foldine, foliamin, foliacet, folipac, folettes, folsan, folvite, inafolic and millafol) will range from about 0.50 to 20, usually from about 0.50 to 10 and more usually from about 1.0 to 5.0 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the preferred range in the composition that is applied to foliage is from about 1.0 to 3.0 ppm w/w, and more preferably from about 1.0 to 2.0 ppm. Generally, the amount of pyridoxine or vitamin B6 that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods (e.g. from pyridoxine hydrochloride, 5-hydroxy-6-methyl-3,4-pyridinedimethanol hydrochloride; pyridoxol hydrochloride, vitamin B6 hydrochloride, pyridoxinium chloride, adermine, hydrochloride, bonasanit, hexabione hydrochloride, hexabetalin, hexavibex, pyridipea, pyridox, bxc3xa9cilan, benadon, hexermin, campovitron 6, hexabion ) will range from about 0.50 to 20, usually from about 0.50 to 10 and more usually from about 1.0 to 5.0 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the preferred range in the composition that is applied to foliage is from about 1.0 to 3.0 ppm w/w, and more preferably from about 1.0 to 2.0 ppm. As mentioned above, in many embodiments of the invention the foliar fertilizer composition includes both of the above coenzymes, where the amounts of each enzyme are the same as those described above, such that the total coenzyme amount that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods (i.e. the amount of both of the above coenzymes together) in the composition ranges from about 1.0 to 40, usually from about 1.0 to 20 and more usually from about 2.0 to 10 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the preferred range in the composition that is applied to foliage is from about 2.0 to 6.0 ppm w/w, and more preferably from about 2.0 to 4.0 ppm.
In addition to the above coenzymes, the foliar fertilizer composition may further include a carbohydrate source. Any convenient carbohydrate source may be employed, where suitable carbohydrates that may be present in the solution include: monosaccharides, including 4 carbon (e.g. erythrose, threose, erythrulose), 5 carbon (e.g. ribose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose, ribulose, xylulose) and 6 carbon (e.g. alfose, altrose, glucose, mannose, gulose, idose, galactose, talose, psicose, fructose, sorbose, tagatose) monosaccharides, as well as disaccharides thereof, e.g. sucrose, lactose, maltose etc., and derivatives thereof, e.g. mannitol, sorbitol etc.; where in many embodiments the carbohydrate will be one or more of a carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose, lactose, sorbitol, and mannitol. The total amount of carbohydrate in the foliar fertilizer composition that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods, e.g. combined amount of the disparate types of carbohydrates present in the composition, will generally range from about 1,000 to 900,000, usually from about 5,000 to 850,000 and more usually from about 5,000 to 500,000 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the amount will range form about 1,000 to 600,000 and more usually from about 5,000 to 250,000 ppm w/w.
The subject foliar compositions may further include one or more complexing agents, where by xe2x80x9ccomplexing agentxe2x80x9d is meant a chelating agent, i.e. an agent that is capable of complexing with a metal ion. Complexing agents of interest include: humic acid, fulvic acid, ulmic acid, citric acid, amino acids, nucleic acids, lignosulfonates, e.g. Ca-, K-, Na-, and ammonium lignosulfonates, EDTA,. EDDA, EDDHA, HEDTA, CDTA, PTPA, NTA and the like. The total amount of complexing agent in the foliar fertilizer composition that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods, e.g. combined amount of the disparate types of complexing agents present in the composition, will generally range from about 10 to 100,000, usually from about 10 to 75,000 and more usually from about 100 to 50,000 ppm w/w, where in many embodiments the amount will range form about 100to 60,000 and more usually from about 100 to 50,000 ppm w/w.
In addition to the above components, the foliar fertilizer composition may further include a preservative agent. While any convenient preservative agent may be employed, preservative agents of interest include: proprionic acid, acetic acid, potassium sorbate, tartaric acid, malic acid and the like, where the amount of preservative in the composition that is applied to the plant during practice of the subject methods will typically range from about 10 to 20,000, usually from about 10 to 10,000 and more usually from about 100 to 5,000 ppm w/w.
The above foliar fertilizer compositions are prepared by combining water with the various agents under conditions sufficient to produce an aqueous solution containing the various agents. The water that is used to produce the subject compositions may be tap water obtained from any convenient water source, e.g. a municipal water district, where the water may be purified or otherwise treated, e.g. to remove certain undesirable agents that may be initially present therein. The various agents to be solubilized in the water to produce the foliar fertilizer composition may be obtained from any convenient source, e.g. commercial vendor. For example, the carbohydrate component may be derived from a commercially available carbohydrate source, such as high fructose corn syrup, etc.
In preparing the subject aqueous foliar fertilizer compositions, a concentrated or parent composition may first be produced, which parent composition or mix is then diluted with water, usually at least about 5 fold, more usually at least about 10 fold and often at least about 20 fold, in order to obtain the final composition that is suitable for foliar application.
In such parent compositions or concentrates, the total coenzyme component will typically range from about 1 to 100, usually from about 1 to 50 and more usually from about 1 to 10 ppm; the total carbohydrate source component will typically range from about 10,000 to 900,000, usually from about 10,000 to 8500,000 and more usually from about 10,000 to 850,000 ppm; the total complexing agent component will typically range from about 100 to 100,000, usually from about 100 to 75,000 and more usually from about 100 to 50,000 ppm; while the total preservative component will typically range from about 100 to 20,000, usually from about 100 to 16,000 and more usually from about 100 to 5,000 ppm.
As such, in the resultant dilute composition, the amount of enyzme typically ranges from about 0.5 to 20 ppm, the amount of carbohydrate source typically ranges from about 500 to 180,000 ppm, the amount of complexing agent typically ranges from about 5 to 20,000 ppm and the amount of preservative typically ranges from about 0.5 to 4000 ppm. In many preferred embodiments of the dilute composition, the amount of enzyme ranges from about 0.10 to 10, usually from about 0.5 to 10 and more usually from about 1.0 to 5.0 ppm; the amount of carbohydrate source ranges from about 100 to 100,000, usually from about 1,000 to 50,000 and more usually from about 5,000 to 20,000 ppm; the amount of complexing agent ranges from about 10 to 1000, usually from about 50 to 500 and more usually from about 50 to 250 ppm; and the amount of preservative ranges from about 10 to 1000, usually from about 50 to 500 and more usually from about 50 to 250 ppm.
In practicing the subject methods, the foliar fertilizer composition is contacted with at least a portion of the foliage of the plant for which growth is to be enhanced. By contact is meant that the aqueous fertilizer composition is placed on the surface of the foliage of the plant(s) to be treated, where the term xe2x80x9cfoliagexe2x80x9d is used broadly to encompass not only the leaves of the plant, but every other part of the plant that is not underground, i.e. below the soil surface, such that the term xe2x80x9cfoliagexe2x80x9d includes leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, etc. Contact may be by any convenient methods, including spraying, applying etc.
The amount of aqueous composition that is used during any one application will vary greatly depending on the nature of the plant, the nature of the composition, the environmental conditions, etc. Where crops are treated with the subject compositions, the amount that is applied based on acreage is generally at least about 0.25 to 10 gal per acre, usually at least about 0.25 to 5 gal per acre, and more usually at least about 0.25 to 2.5 gal per acre, where the amount that is applied may be as high as 10 gal per acre or higher, but will usually not exceed about 5 gal per acre.
Depending on the nature of the plant, the nature of the composition, and the environmental conditions, as well as other factors, the foliar fertilizer composition may be applied more than once over a given period of time. As such, the fertilizer composition may be applied daily, weekly, every two weeks, monthly etc.
Where one starts with a parent mix or concentrate, as described above, the subject methods also include a dilution step, in which water is combined with the concentrate in order to reduce the amount of agent in the composition. This dilution step will comprise introducing a sufficient amount of water to the concentrate to obtain at least about a 5 fold dilution, usually at least about a 10 fold dilution, and in many instances at least about a 20 fold dilution.
The subject methods, i.e. foliar application of the aqueous composition, result in an enhancement of growth of the plant that is treated, as compared to a control. By enhancement of growth is meant that over a set period of time, the treated plant attains a higher total mass than the control. The amount of enhancement will typically be at least about 5%, usually at least about 10% and more usually at least about 25%, where in many embodiments the amount of enhancement may be 50% or greater. In many embodiments, the amount of enhancement will be at least about 100%.
A variety of different plants may be treated according to the subject methods, where such plants include both crop and ornamental plants. A representative list of plants that may be treated according to the subject invention is provided in Table 1, infra.
The following is offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.